Michael Chandler shuts down Chad Mendes at RAF 3 main event, Joaquin Buckley and Clay Guida Struggle in wrestling return. At the most recent RAF event, Michael Chandler made a bold statement by dominating a wrestling match against fellow veteran Chad Mendes, proving he’s still a force even off the MMA stage.
Michael Chandler returned to the wrestling mats on Saturday night, November 30 in the RAF 3 main event and turned back the clock with a near shutout performance over fellow UFC veteran Chad Mendes. Chandler and Mendes, both known for their mixed martial arts careers, clashed in a pure wrestling bout under the RAF banner. Despite Mendes’ strong background as an NCAA-level wrestler, Chandler controlled the match from start to finish.
An early mistake from Mendes changed everything. He had Chandler tied up and tried to roll for a move, but he slipped and lost his grip. Chandler reacted instantly, rolling with him and scoring two points. When the referee later called Mendes for passivity, Chandler picked up another point, giving him a 3–0 lead at the end of the first period.
After that, both men kept fighting for better position, but the match had to be paused a few times because of an accidental eye poke and a couple of head clashes. Mendes ended up with noticeable swelling around his eye, but he pushed through and kept going.
Late in the match, Chandler added another point after pushing Mendes out of bounds, and that was enough to secure the victory. The former UFC title challenger walked away with a solid 4–1 win, a strong performance for someone who had been an All-American back in his Missouri days. But even with the win, Chandler wasn’t done. He surprised everyone by making a bold callout right after the match.
“I’d like to say since 2009, there was a guy out there from the Midwest in the Big 12, who beat me a couple of times that I haven’t been able to get him off my mind. Jordan Burroughs, this ain’t 2009! I’m bigger, I’m faster, I’m stronger, I’m more dangerous! Jump in the RAF ring with me, if you dare.”
Chandler’s dominant win adds weight to the idea that high-level MMA wrestlers can still thrive in traditional wrestling settings. It’s a strong comeback for a fighter who has faced ups and downs in recent UFC campaigns. For Chandler, the win could reignite interest from promoters and fans, perhaps even paving the way for a return to mixed-martial arts combat under a new strategy.
Chandler’s win over Mendes was impressive on its own, but the unexpected callout afterward added a whole new layer of excitement. With momentum on his side and confidence higher than ever, all eyes are now on what and who comes next. If this performance was any indication, Chandler isn’t just back, he’s ready to shake things up.
While Chandler’s return to steal the spotlight, a couple of other familiar names struggled badly. Joaquin Buckley replaced PFL light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson on the card against Pat Downey. Joaquin Buckley stepped into the wrestling ring expecting to make a statement but instead was shut out 12-0 by former champion Pat Downey via technical fall.
Clay Guida also returned to the mats. Clay Guida, a long-time fan favorite for his heart and durability, was similarly outmatched, losing 11-0 to young wrestler Cayden Henschel.
In one of the more surprising results on the card was Bella Mir, the daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir and an Olympic hopeful in 2028 who suffered a comeback loss to Alexis Gomez. After dominating the early part of the match, Mir was taken down by Gomez late with another turn leading to a rapid-fire succession of points.
Check out RAF 3 results below:
Michael Chandler def. Chad Mendes, 4-1
Kennedy Blades def. Alejandra Rivera, 11-0 tech fall
Akhmed Tazhudinov def. Anthony Cassioppi, via pin
Andrii Yatsenko def. Spencer Lee, via pin
Austin Gomez def. Austin O’Connor, 9-1
Jordan Oliver def. Real Woods, 2-2 (wins by criteria)
Cayden Henschel def. Clay Guida, 11-0, tech fall
Pat Downey def. Joaquin Buckley, 12-0 tech fall
Alexis Gomez def. Bella Mir, 7-3
Bo Bassett def. Darrion Caldwell via pin
